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HE GUIDING 
LIGHT 

JAMES D. MILLER 




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THE GUIDING LIGHT 

BY 

JAMES D. MILLER 




QKe ChristopKer Publishing House 
Boston, U. S. A. 









Copyright 1922 
By The Christopher Publishing House 



MADE IN AMERICA 

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Dedicated To 

MY DARLING MOTHE% 

And to Faithful Friends, Both Spirit and 

cMortaU "(vho Have Done so Much 

To Build up my Physical and 

Intellectual Systems 



PREFACE 

This book has been written in my own words, no large 
words or literary phrases has been injected into it. The 
limitation of my education has endowed me with but 
a small vocabulary where with to clothe many great 
thoughts that have welled up in my mind. Not a line 
in this book has been written or recorded from "hear- 
say," not a fact is given that I do not know to be 
true; from beginning to end, my one purpose has been 
not to write an eulogy, but to write justly the truth. 
No attempt has been made to write this book in story 
form, it is written in paragraphic form, relative to my 
life and experiences with the Great Spirit Forces. I am 
prompted to write this book through inspiration, to give 
out these facts unto the world; to teach those that are 
near-sighted, self-centered, and those who are being 
blindly led by improper influences; the easier and better 
way of seeking relief for their bodily ailments and 
troubles. All who read this book have a perfect right 
to criticise and to question, but, I shall not feel under 
any obligation to make further reply. Life is too short 
and too precious to spend it in privately answering per- 
sons who "wish to be assured that the writer is none 
other than a normal person as far as his intellect is 
concerned, or who cultivate original theories concerning 
their character or life." 

Not a line has been written for the sake of writing it. 
1 must apologise at the outset for the personal reference, 
which, but for the clearness that it may lend to the 
statements, I would surely avoid. I am not a writer by 



nature; at least this talent has never unfolded itself to 
me, nor was I aware of its existence, until the unseen 
ones about me discovered the talent in my soul; which, 
by touching with their quickening power, they have 
developed and produced the results here given. 

It is the writers earnest wish that the contents of this 
book will help up-lift those, who, for years, have been 
laboring under some heavy physical burden. 

J. D. M. 



The Guiding Light 

CHAPTER I. 

In a white house, "low and small" on a small farm in 
the Connecticut Valley, twenty miles north of Hartford, 
Connecticut in the Town of Enfield, I was born on the 
nth day of September, 1895. The house was small, 
without the slightest pretensions to architectural beauty. 
It was one story and a half in height, the front looking 
toward the East and separated from the road by a narrow 
strip of door-yard grass. A low porch was at the South 
of the house and from the steps of this, a path of well- 
trodden soil led to a cool unfailing well of water. A 
few yards distant, close to the wall on the South side 
and almost pushing its strong thrifty boughs through 
the little attic window, flourished a fruitful apple tree. 
Beyond the door-yard, and sloping toward the South- 
east, lay a small garden with its single row of small peach 
trees, dividing its length; and beds of vegetables laid 
close on either side. A little in the rear of the dwelling, 
stood the ample weather-beaten barn, the busy haunt of 
the restless swallows and sparrows. A number of state- 
ly and symmetrical pines which had been kindly spared 
from the forest when the clearing for the house was made, 
grew just across the drive-way and in the summer, threw 
their thick cool shadows over the road, making a grate- 
ful shade for the tired traveler. 

In such a home I was born, the first child of William 
Miller and Elizabeth MacDougall, his wife. My father 



10 THE GUIDING LIGHT 

was an agricultural worker from childhood. Early pov- 
erty and the hard exigencies of life had left him no time 
nor facilities for acquiring anything more than the mere 
rudiments of a common school education; and the con- 
sciousness of his want of culture and an invincible dif- 
fidence born with him, gave him a retiring manner and 
a want of confidence in his own judgment, which was 
mherited to a large measure, by his offspring "myself." 
My mother is brown-eyed and beautiful. My mother 
is a woman of superior intellect and of good, well-ordered 
life. To me she stands apart from all others, purer, 
sweeter, doing more, and living better than any other 
woman. She was the wonder of my childhood and the 
comfort and guiding inspiration of my maturity. How 
she did so much work and yet did it well; how she 
reared carefully and governed wisely so large a family 
of children and yet found time to develop by thought 
and reading, a mind of unusual strength and clearness is 
still a mystery to me. An exemplary housewife, a wise 
and kind mother, she left no duty unfulfilled, yet she 
found time often at night after every other member of 
the household was asleep, by reading to keep herself 
informed of all the issues of the day. When we re- 
member that the woman who kept herself informed of 
all the issues of the day, is the mother of eight children, 
a housewife who performed the labor of her large house- 
hold with her own hands; that she lived in a rural 
neighborhood wherein personal and family topic were 
the supreme subjects of discussion, aloof from the larger 
interests and busy thoroughfares of men, we can form 
a juster estimate of the superiority of her natural powers 
and the native breadth of her mind and heart. Such 



THK GUIDING WGHT U 

are my father and mother, Elizabeth and William 
Miller. 

From my father, I inherited the retiring temperament, 
and from my mother, I inherited my interest in public 
affairs, my passion for justice, my devotion to truth and 
duty as I saw it, my clear perceptions and conceptions, 
and sturdy common sense. Blended with my personal 
love for my father and mother, is the ingenuous pride 
and delight in my ancestry. 

At birth, I was a perfect specimen of babyhood, not 
a deformity, not a disproportioned limb, nor a blemish 
of any kind, weighing seven and one-fourth pounds at 
birth. I was also endowed with all the stamina and 
vitality that my mother could bestow upon her first born. 
Thus I entered this great mortal world to fight the great 
battle of Life. After my birth, I thrived splendidly 
until I was about two years old, at which time I was as 
physically fit and perfect as any child could be. When 
about the age of two years, I contracted a severe cold, 
which settled in my bronchial tubes. A medical doctor 
was consulted and after an examination, informed my 
mother that it was nothing serious, and left some medi- 
cine, as was the usual procedure. (Medicine, when 
properly symbolized, is narcotic in varying degrees of 
strength.) My mother followed this medical Doctor's 
orders faithfully, administering the medicine to me. 
After several doses of medicine, a little relief was secured, 
and so my condition continued for several days with no 
marked improvement. The medical Doctor was con- 
sulted again; this time he changed the medicine, which 
was administered as per directions. After a period of 
time, I was able to be up, although very weak and it 



12 the: guiding wght 

was about this time that my mother discovered a slight 
wheezing every time I took a breath but she thought 
it was just the after effects of the cold. This was in 
the latter part of November 1897. As time went on, 
the wheezing increased. I was taking medicine practic- 
ally all the time, its effects and relief were only tempo- 
rary. Under the constant strain of hard breathing and 
the sickening effect of the medicine, I declined into what 
is known as a delicate condition. My mother took 
extra precaution against colds and dampness, but it 
seemed to be of no avail, and so my condition continued 
delicate; sick part of the time, and fairly well part of 
the time. 

My story takes me up to the time I was about eight 
years old. I was not able to start into school at the 
regular school age, which is about six years of age. 
By this time, due to the combined effort of hard breath- 
ing, coughing and medicine, I was gradually becoming 
deformed. I was becoming barrel chested, (better known 
as chicken breasted), my spine was becoming distorted, 
curved; my legs, arms and face were abnormally long 
and as I look back, it was quite a transformation from 
a perfect baby into deformed boyhood. 

The above statements were dictated to me by my 
mother, I, being too young to comprehend the happenings 
in my life up to the age of eight. Now, dear readers, 
I will give you the rest of my experiences as I remember 
them, starting at the age of eight years. This may 
sound to you as being rather a young age to conceive 
and remember the experiences, but, having been sick so 
much, and forced into older company, I was older in 
ways than my years indicated. 



the: guiding light 13 

I was denied boyhood romps and games, due to my 
physical condition. Up to this time, I had been unable 
to attend school, so at the age of eight years, I started 
into grammar school. The school-house in which I 
gained the rudiments of my education was located a 
distance of almost a mile from my home. This dis- 
tance was always walked, as there were then no modern 
means of transportation. The plain two story brick 
building is still standing, and is still used for school 
purposes. I was backward, bashful and a weakling; I 
was twitted by other children in the class-room and out. 
This, of course, had a tendency to make my path harder, 
but I studied and learned what I could. The teachers 
were not very considerate and the consequence was I 
didn't learn very rapidly. Of course, I had my sick 
spells of hard breathing and wheezing, although I was 
taking medicine practically all the time. I was obliged 
to attend and stay out of school intermittently during 
the school season. In all, I managed to attend school, 
when totaled up was about two months of the school 
season and when I was able to go I was obliged to trail 
along after my class, skipping a large portion of the 
studies, much in the same manner as a lame chicken 
follows a healthy flock at feeding time. And so I 
continued until I reached the age of twelve years, at 
which time my parents decided that I should not attend 
school any longer, due to my physical condition. By 
the time I left, I was able to read, write and figure ele- 
mentary work fairly well. My parents thought that by 
taking me out of school, it would give my nerves a rest 
and perhaps build up my system. About this time, we 
moved on to another farm, which was located on high 



14 THE GUIDING I,IGHT 

and dry ground. We were advised to do this by a med- 
ical Doctor, who said he thought I would improve when 
located on higher ground: but such was not the case. 
The so-called asthmatic attachs came and went intermit- 
tently as before, but now the attacks had a tendency to 
become more prolonged. I tried to work some, on the 
farm, but could not accomplish anything to speak of. 

My parents were advised by our family physician 
to have me vaccinated. The physician said it would, 
when I had it done, give me relief and would also help 
build up my physical strength. Well, I was vaccinated, 
but the promised relief did not appear, nor did I get 
any stronger, though in addition to the regular suffering, 
T had to endure the sickly effect of the toxin. I never 
knew the time, when I felt light-hearted. I was always 
depressed by the physical burden which I had to bear. 

At the age of fifteen, I decided to try raising poultry. 
I succeeded fairly well, having hatched and raised six 
hundred chickens; hatched and raised them with the 
aid of incubators and artificial mothers, until they were 
about nine month's old. (When I wasn't able to take 
care of them, my mother assumed the duty). When 
they were about nine months old, ill luck befell me. A 
dog killed over one hundred full grown chickens, belong- 
ing to me. I became so discouraged and sick that I 
=old the remaining five hundred, and with the proceeds 
decided to try the salt air for a change to see if it would 
be a benefit to me. So, in the spring of 1911, I went 
to New Haven, Connecticut, which is located practically 
on the Long Island Sound, about sixty miles from my 
home. The first two weeks, I was there, I did not notice 
much improvement in my condition. Then my system 



THi; GUIDING LIGHT IS 

gradually began to respond to the clear salt air. I 
secured a position as dock-clerk on one of the docks 
there, so as to be as near the salt water as possible. I 
improved wonderfully, put on weight, had better color 
and a splendid appetite. The hard breathing and wheez- 
ing had practically disappeared. I thought I had found 
a cure at last. I worked there all summer, grew fat, 
but still remained in a deformed condition. 

It was during this summer that I became somewhat 
interested in mediums and spiritualism. I had a sitting 
(my iirst) with one of New Haven's leading mediums. 
T was startled and surprised at some of the revelations 
in regard to my physical self, but I treated the facts 
lightly, practically scoffed at them. I thought most of 
it was fraud and humbug and that it must be some 
outside spiritual agency: that it was Satan (so called) 
or his emissaries. I was also very much afraid of it. 
Even though I did not believe there was a hell hereafter, 
I could not bring myself to realize that the messages 
Avere from spirits of the other and higher plane. I had 
always had faith that there was celestial life hereafter, 
but never gave a thought as to how our spirit friends 
were to communicate with this plane. I never took into 
consideration that there was an intermediate person 
whose mind was tuned to the proper vibration, so as to 
attract and act as an instrument for our spirit friends, 
when they wished to communicate with us. 

I was advised to have my adenoids removed. I was, 
at the time, undergoing treatments for my nose and throat 
which consisted mainly of forcing an instrument up my 
nose in an effort to open up the nasal system which the 
physician claimed was closed. I submitted to these 



^^ THE GUIDING LIGHT 

treatments for almost one year without results Well 
I had my adenoids removed by a noted eye, ear and 
nose specialist of New Haven, Connecticut, and I will 
say to all who have been advised to have their adenoid, 
removed to look into and investigate the matter thorough- 
ly. Perhaps some of you do not know how the adenoids 
tunction. I am not quoting anything from medical 
hearsay, but from my own personal experience The 
adenoids act as a strainer for the bronchial tubes and 
the lungs. When inhaling cold air, such as we have in 
the wmter time, they act as an air warmer, that is when 
you mhale, they sift out all the little particles of dust 
and also takes the chill off the air before it (the air)' 
reaches the bronchical tubes. That is the effect when 
you have them. Now, when you have had them re- 
moved, all those little particles of dust go right into 
the bronchical tubes and when you breathe in the cold 
air, it goes straight to the tubes before it is warmed 
Vou can see by using your own common sense what 
a strain and irritation it places upon the bronchical tubes 
when the adenoids are removed. This I know to be a 
positive fact. Also, after you have had your adenoids 
removed, you have practically no control over the nasal 
system. I have seen the time that I have been oblicred 
to use four or five handkerchiefs in the short space'' of 
nve hours. You have absolutely no control over the 
nasal discharge, after you have had your adenoids re- 
moved. 

I thought I was getting along well enough then so 
I did not pay any attention to the advice given me by 
the spirit forces through the medium. Summer wore 
on into autumn and in the latter part of November I 



THK GUIDING UGHT 17 

felt the old condition coming back, but I tried to make 
myself believe it wasn't so. But in the early part of 
December 1911, I was all in, and came back home. I 
suffered all that winter, and most of the summer of 1912. 
I got some better along toward the fall of that year. 
My parents at various times, had sittings with different 
mediums in regard to my health as well as other things, 
and on one occasion one of the mediums gave my mother 
some herbs compounded by her guides, but as I had no 
faith in the mediums at that time, I did not, nor would 
not follow out directions as given. So consequently the 
herbs did no good, and the conditions remained somewhat 
the same, the attacks came and went. 

I don't like to think how much I was robbed of in 
this world by just the conditions of my life; how much 
better work I should have done but couldn't, due to poor 
health; how much more success I might have won if 
I had been given a better opportunity in my youth. 
But for the first eighteen years of my life, it seemed as 
if there was actually nothing in my existence but suffer- 
ing. My father always worked; my mother's work was 
never done; the whole family struggle was just for the 
right to live free from the curse of debt, of which my sick- 
ness was the cause. I hungered and thirsted for knowl- 
edge, but there were but few books on our family book- 
shelf, not a Public Library within reach. There was plen- 
ty of time to study but there was no chance to learn, as I 
was not in possession of the proper books. As you can 
see it has been a long and discouraging struggle both 
for my parents and myself. On more than one occasion, 
1 was obsessed with a spell of melancholy which had a 
tendency to weaken and deteriorate my mental facilities. 



18 tnt GUIDING LIGHT 

In the Spring of 1915 I answered a Correspondence 
School advertisement and in due time enrolled in one of 
their courses. I studied faithfully at home, as there 
was not much else that I could do. I progressed rapidly 
in my studies through that summer and fall. About 
this time my mind had matured into such a state that 
I often wondered what would become of me if I was 
left alone in the world. I had made up my mind to 
learn a trade some day if I could find an employer who 
would be lenient enough to hire and keep me during the 
time I was experiencing asthmatic (so-called) attacks, 
which, by the way now occurred about every ten or 
twelve weeks. I had about this time, made up my 
mind as to what trade I would learn. In the month of 
May 1916, there was an opening in the line of work I 
had made up my mind to follow. So I made the most 
of it and secured the position as apprentice. I had to 
explain to the manager my short-comings and he agreed 
to hold my position for me if I should experience an 
attack. I was sick several times during the time I was 
serving my apprenticeship, which stretched over a period 
of two years. 

On one occasion during the time I was serving my 
apprenticeship, I suffered a lapse of memory. It was a 
very peculiar sensation. It happened on one afternoon. 
I left my home to do some shopping for myself. When 
I reached my destination the first errand I had to do 
was to purchase some stationery. I entered the sta- 
tionery store and proceeded to the counter where the 
paper was on sale. I remembered picking out the kind 
of paper I wanted and paying for it and that was all I 
remembered until I came to my senses some time later. 



the; guiding i.ight 19 

During the time my mind was blank, I had made my way 
out of the stationery store and walked as near as I can 
reckon, four blocks. When I came to, I found myself 
on a side street, standing on the curb-stone. I did not 
know the day of the week, the time or what I came 
after. My iirst thought was to get home as soon as 
possible to get straightened out. This I accomplished 
without further trouble. It was a terrible sensation! 
This lapse of memory was due to the effects of a certain 
medicine which a Medical Doctor had given me for a 
tonic. You can readily see for yourself that I had 
some experience while taking medicine. 

During the time I was serving my apprenticeship, I 
had several sittings with a medium during which the 
Spirit Guides, working through her instrumentality, ac- 
quainted me with many facts, relative to my work and 
also my health which, afterward, came to pass, and 
while I did not place much confidence in her recom- 
mendation in regard to my health, I began to realize 
that if some of the things which she had told me came 
to pass, there must be something in the talk she gave 
me in regard to my health while she was under influence. 
Of course, after each sitting I acquainted my mother 
with all the details of the reading, and mother would 
often say, "Why don't j^ou give some of Mrs. H.'s 
(medium) prescriptions a trial?" But I was headstrong, 
and kept on with the Medical Doctor's medicine. 

The only relief I could get when I had the hard 
spasmodic breathing spells (and that was only tempo- 
rary), was secured by inhaling the fumes produced by 
burning Doctor R. Schiffman's German Asthma and 
Bronchial Powder, better known today as Schiffman's 



20 TH£ GUIDING I«IGHT 

Asthmador. I have used this powder for inhalations 
ever since I was five years old. It was the only little 
bit of salvation 1 could get when I had the severe breath- 
mg spasms. Asthmador, in itself, is nothing more than 
a combination of Nature's products. Properly com- 
pounded, it consists essentially of salt-peter and herbs, 
including the leaves of the well known mullen plant, 
which you have often seen growing in pastures out in 
the rural districts. 

I learned my trade in two years, finishing it in the 
Spring of 1918. I had also kept studying the home 
course I had taken from the Correspondence Schools. 
I secured a position as a full fledged tradesman at which 
I worked until the early part of December 1918, when 
1 contracted the dreaded disease of Influenza. There 
was very few disease epidemics that I escaped. Shortly 
after contracting the Influenza, I was confined to my 
bed. My condition grew rapidly worse. My parents 
called in several Medical Doctors, during the early stage 
of my sickness. The prescribed medicine was admin- 
istered as per directions. I suffered an intense fever and 
had a frightful time in general; but by the latter part 
of December 1918, I had passed the crisis and was able 
to sit up part of the time. By this time, the fever 
condition had passed, but it left me in a very weak 
condition which was accompanied by hard breathing, 
which became spasmodic at times. In addition to the 
Medical Doctors' medicine, I tried all kinds of patent 
medicine, but I could not gain a particle of strength. Of 
course I was discouraged. My parents were in despair 
The Medical Doctors, with all their so-called science 
and methods could not bring me out of the condition. 



the: guiding wght 21 

I was practically a hopeless case. I gradually became 
so weak that in addition to the strong (drugs) medicine 
administered, I was gradually losing the use of my 
limbs. I got into such a condition that every so-called 
asthmatic spasm I had, my parents thought it would 
be my last; but I had jaith in what, "I did not know." 
I knew that the Medical Doctors had reached the end 
of the rope, as far as my case was concerned. My 
parents did not know where to turn to get relief for me. 
Through physical suffering almost beyond precedent; 
through days and nights and years of almost hopeless 
illness, yet I clung to this life, not through any lack 
of faith or fear in the other and higher plane, but be- 
cause it seemed to me that I had not yet exhausted the 
possibilities and the fullness of this life. And so my 
condition continued until the 14th of January 1919. 

The following is a citation of the human body; what 
it is in a sense, composed of, and how it should be cared 
for and developed in order to be able to enjoy perfect 
health. The following will no doubt, make you realize 
how blindly the writer was led along on the wrong path 
in his endeavor to procure a healthy condition. Nature 
is the only doctor, but some do not realize it until too 
late, while others abuse it. 

Our bodies are composed of cellular tissue. The cells 
have a life of their own. They are born, function, grow 
old and cease to exist. The health and youth of the 
body depends on the vitality of the cellular tissue 
throughout the organism, and this is mainly auxiliary 
to proper nutrition and moderate and symmetrical ex- 
ercise, the cells become decrepit and the organism be- 
comes torpid and prematurely aged. The latter was 



22 THi: GUIDING LIGHT 

my condition for a period of years. By over exercise, 
the changes in the cellular tissues are abnormally rapid 
and the over-taxed parts are disproportionately develop- 
ed, (in the writers case, it was his chest that was, in a 
sense, over developed), at the expense of the vital func- 
tions. All wisely devised methods of bodily culture will 
aim to strengthen the interior vital parts of the organism 
rather than the superficial muscles. You will not doubt, 
by using your common sense, see that Medical Doctor's 
medicine will never be able to accomplish that which 
Nature can accomplish, or accomplish the above effect. 
A full use of the lungs habitually cultivated by deep 
and regular breathing, an active circulation of the blood 
through all the organs by means of which the vital func- 
tions of the body are performed. There should be reg- 
ularity in the hours of sleep and the periods of rest. 
Healthy and normal activity of the vital functions rather 
than the development of inordinate muscular power 
should be our aim. 

As a summary, the real cause of all this suffering, 
which I have found out now, with the aid of the Spirit 
Forces, as you read on, will be unfolded to you. The 
following point is what I want to bring out. The point 
is, that while the doctor treated me for a so-called dis- 
ease, they were giving the underlying weakness, in my 
case, a chance to become firmly seeded in my system. 
That is, while I was taking the medicine prescribed by 
the Doctors which had the effect of deadening and 
weakening the nerves and tissues of my body, the dread- 
ed so-called asthma, which, in reality, is nothing more 
than a physical weakness, was getting a deadly grip on 
my system, settling principly in my bronchial tubes. The 



the: guiding ught 23 

medicine instead of killing the supposed disease germ, 
was simply feeding it, giving it all the chance in the 
world to thrive, which it did. 

Friend reader, I have written my physical experiences 
in detail, to give you an idea how near I was crossing 
the border line. My reason for doing this is to point 
out to you, one of the many ways which Christ, as a 
power, has in bringing and teaching you to see and do 
things in the right way. Later on in this book, you will 
see, as I do now, that the methods used were only to 
teach me the right from the wrong way. By that I mean 
to teach, that if we only would place faith in him (the 
Great Power), our paths on the earth plane would be 
made much easier, both intellectually and physically. 



24 THE GUIDING LIGHT 



CHAPTER II. 

On the 14th of January 1919, my mother and I decided 
to try and get relief from a new quarter for me. My 
mother went practically as the last resort and had a 
sitting with a medium, Mrs. Anna Houghton, of Spring- 
field, Massachusetts. 

Mrs. Anna Houghton, as a woman, possesses a person- 
ality far above the average person. To my mind, her 
personality is surpassed by only one person and that 
is my darling mother. Mrs. Houghton is a woman, 
endowed with Christ's principles, always aiming to uplift 
and inspire those who are in trouble and those who have 
become dejected through the lack of understanding. Her 
motto is, "Look up and not down, go forward and not 
backward and give those who are weak a helping hand." 
As a Spiritualist Medium, Mrs. Houghton is superb; 
her intellect and broad-mind is one that is rarely in 
possession of the human body. She, in a sense, is a 
ministering angel here among mankind to those who have 
faith in the higher ideals of life. Her uplifting person- 
ality is, in a sense, a tonic for all those who talk with 
her, both when she is under the Spiritual influence and 
when she is not. She is so gentle, so kind, upliftful and 
yet forceful in her manner, words fail to express the 
fme woman which she is. 

As I look back now, it was more the Spiritual Guid- 
ance that sent my mother to see her, than our own 
initiative. When the Spirit Forces took control of and 
worked through this medium, they (I say "they" for 



THK GUIDING LIGHT 25 

there were more than one influence) described my case 
identically as it was. They informed my mother that 
if I followed their instructions closely and placed faith 
in them, I would be up and around in a short time. I 
will give you, friend readers, the exact formulas and di- 
rections which they (the Spirit Forces) gave my mother 
for preparation and administration in my case. The 
formulas are printed herewith and calling for the follow- 
ing herbs: One-half ounce of Yellow Dock, One ounce 
of Spikenard Root, one ounce of Red Clover Blossoms, 
one ounce of Buchu Leaves and one ounce of Thorough- 
wort. The above was to be mixed together, dry, and then 
steeped in one quart of cold water for several hours; 
then put over a fire and brought to a slow boil, which 
was continued for one hour, after which the herbs were 
taken from the fire and cooled. When cool enough to 
handle, strain through a cheese cloth, and to the re- 
maining liquid was added three ounces of French Brandy 
which acted as a preservative. Then it was bottled and 
corked tightly. The directions were, two teaspoonfuls 
four times a day. 

The above is the internal preparation, and the follow- 
ing, for external application. The Spirit Guide also 
mstructed my mother at this sitting, to procure two of 
P. D. Ordway's double strength, strengthening plasters 
for application on my back and chest; also a Spice 
Liniment was prescribed to be mixed and applied as 
follows ; 

To one-half pint of Medicated Alcohol, add one tea- 
spoon each, of Ground Cinnamon, Ground Cloves, 
Ground Nutmeg; the same to be thoroughly mixed. To 
apply the plasters and Spice Liniment the following 



26 THE GUIDING LIGHT 

procedure was followed: My chest and back was spong- 
ed with warm water, then the Spice Liniment was ap- 
plied, rubbing it in thoroughly with a piece of cotton. 
Then the plasters were heated enough to soften the ad- 
hesive and one was placed on my chest, and the other 
on my back. These plasters were to remain on three 
days and then changed for a new set. Now, the purpose 
of taking the herbs internally and applying the Spice 
Liniment and plasters on my back and chest was to 
accomplish this:- The herbs were to drive out and 
cleanse the system internally, of the poisons which had 
created therein and left by the effects of Medical Doctors' 
medicine, while the Spice Liniment opened the pores, 
which were rendered unhealthy by the same poisons, and 
the plasters were to draw out the inflammation, poisons 
and also strengthen the motor nerves and tissues of my 
back and chest. 

The Spirit Forces informed my mother that I was in 
such a condition and had such a small amount of blood 
that when the blood started out on its rounds of nourish- 
ing the body, it was practically normal in its consistency, 
but it gradually became thinner and weaker, so that when 
it reached the heart for to be re-pumped through the 
system, its consistency was like that of water. That 
was how they conceived it. 

This practically concluded the first medical sitting on 
my case with my mother acting as an intermediate 
person this time. The Spirit Guide, at the conclusion 
of this sitting, instructed my mother to return for addi- 
tional advise in about two weeks time from that date. 
The instructions were carried out to the letter. The 
foremost thought in my mind as well as that in the 



the; guiding light 27 

minds of my parents, was the great word RELIEF. I 
will say that here on this day, was the start of my re- 
juvenation. 

At the end of the third day for the first set of plasters, 
1 had the pleasure of having them forcibly removed. 
Perhaps some of you readers have had the same experi- 
ence. If so, you have my sympathy. After the plasters 
were removed ,you could see where they had drawn out 
some of the poisons, for on my back and chest were 
patches of matter, as were the removed plasters, and 
I will say the suffering was acute. A fresh set of 
plasters were applied, and I still continued taking the 
herbs. This was kept up for the two weeks, and it 
may surprise some of you, as it did me, to say, there 
was a very slight improvement for the better. I was 
able to sit up in a chair, and I will take the liberty 
here in stating that my faith became stronger than ever 
in the Spirit Unseen Forces. At the end of the two 
weeks my mother had another sitting v/ith the medium, 
Mrs. A. Houghton for further instructions. When the 
Forces had taken control, they informed my mother that 
I was coming along alright, but slow. They said that 
my blood condition was gradually improving, which ac- 
counted for the slight improvement shown, and I was 
to keep on with the herbs for two weeks longer and with 
the plasters until they would not stay on any longer. 
By that they meant until they would not adhere to the 
^esh any longer. The reason for stating the above in 
this way meant that when all the poisons and inflamma- 
tion were drawn out externally from the system, they 
would not stay on any longer, as they had done the 
work designed for them. They also informed my mother 



28 THE GUIDING LIGHT 

that I would be able to come for next sitting, but my 
mother couldn't see how that would be possible; but 
it was. This concluded the sitting. 

I continued as per directions and in the third week 
from the start of this peculiar treatment, the plasters 
did come off of their own accord. I put on a new set 
of plasters and they would stay on three hours. The 
mattered places on my chest and back disappeared. It 
was almost unbelievable, but a fact. At the end of 
the fourth week from the start, I was able to go for a 
sitting myself personally, as was predicted; although 
terribly wobbly weak on my legs, I managed to make 
it allright. This was on the 14th of February 1919. 
A marvelous though slight improvement in this short 
space of time. At this sitting, after the Spirit Forces 
had informed me that my system had been gradually 
cleaned and was slowly, but surely improving, but what 
I needed mostly now was rich blood to strengthen the 
system, and so I was given instructions to prepare a 
blood-maker and tonic which consisted mainly of Nature's 
own Products. The tonic formula was as follows: Six 
good sized blood beets; one cup of brown sugar and two 
large cups of cold water. In preparing the beets, they 
were not to be scraped or peeled. Simply wash the dirt 
off, then grind them in a meat-chopper into fine pulp; 
then the sugar and the water were added and mixed 
thoroughly in a granite dish and covered tightly; then 
they were placed in the oven and baked for three hours. 
They were then taken out and cooled gradually. When 
cool enough to handle, strain through a cheese cloth and 
to the liquid three ounces of French Brandy was added, 
then bottled and corked tightly. The directions for tak- 



THE GUIDING IvlGHT 2P 

ing were, one-half a wine glass four times a day. This 
concluded this sitting, and I was to continue taking this 
tonic for four weeks, at which time I was to return for 
further instructions. 

The herbs were stopped, as I started taking this tonic, 
their work, in my case having been accomplished. One 
compounding of the above formula lasted me five days, 
at the end of which, more was to be made. I followed 
out the directions very diligently, but my condition did 
not seem to improve any, nor did I slip back any. I 
remained seemingly at a standstill for three weeks. 
Experience has taught me, that Nature is slow but sure 
in its strides. As my system became cleansed, all the 
nerves that had been deadned for so long by narcotics, 
seemed to come to life. My teeth ached so that I had 
to have some of them extractd. 

At the end of the fourth week, there was some im- 
provements in one way, and in other ways there wasn't. 
The most noticeable feature at this time was my increase 
of appetite. I wanted to eat almost everything, and 
my mother was only too willing to get everything I 
wanted. In fact, I over-done it. I ate some tomatoes 
for which I had a great craving, and the results were, I 
suffered a set back. The tomatoes which I ate developed 
ptomaine poisoning, and I suffered agony for two days, 
but finally the effects passed off, and with it went some 
of my recuperated strength. I was obliged to set back 
the date of my next sitting from the fourth to the sixth 
week from the time I started with the beet tonic, or 
about ten weeks from the date of the first sitting, which 
my mother had with Mrs. Houghton. On the 28th of 
March 1919, I went for my third sitting with the same 



30 the: guiding i,ight 

medium. This sitting was of longer duration than the 
one previous and there was some radical change made 
in my treatments. When the Spirit Forces had taken 
control, they informed me that conditions were a great 
deal brighter than I was conscious of. They issued 
instructions to the effect that I was to continue the beet 
tonic and as my system was thoroughly cleansed of all 
poisons and narcotics, I was now able to withstand a 
more energetic form of Nature's treatments of which 
there are quite a number. I was instructed to undergo 
a physical examination conducted by a Naturepath. A 
man cannot carry the degree of Naturepath, symbols 
N. D. until he has studied and satisfactorily passed ex- 
aminations pertaining to Chiropractic adjustments. Osteo- 
pathy, Natureopathy, Mechanotherapy and Massage. 
This N. D. was also a Spiritual Medium in his particu- 
lar line of work. 

The Spirit Guides informed me that after I had taken 
several treatments I would experience and see a great 
change in my physical self. (To be frank with you, 
readers, I thought that was well nigh impossible, even 
though I had the staunchest faith in the Spirit Forces). 
1 was informed that this Naturepath would strengthen 
the ligaments, muscles and tissues, which medicine had 
for so long suppressed, and also that my spine would 
be straightened and my barrel chest reduced. It was 
almost too good to be true, but, as I had been through 
so much, I was determined to give it a trial. So during 
the sitting I made a note of all the details that were to 
be carried out. This concluded the sitting. On my 
way home, I pondered over what I had been told, hoping 
with the faintest hope that it would come to pass and 



the; guiding wght 31 

turn out as predicted. The treatments were to cost one 
dollar each, and as my condition had eaten up all the 
cash my folks had, I was unable to undergo the treatment 
at that time. So on the morning of April 19, 1919 
(Easter Sunday) I went to be examined by this Nature- 
oath, my darling mother having previously made an 
appointment. It was a morning that I shall never for- 
2;et. I was obliged to walk about one-eighth of a mile 
to get to his office. My folks wanted to hire a taxi, but 
1 would not hear to it; so I started out. On the way, 
1 had to climb a slight grade, along side of which was 
an iron pipe fence. With all the excitement anxiety and 
anticipation of what I might have to go through sapped 
considerable of my strength, and I had to take a firm 
hold on the fence to hold myself up, and keen going, but 
determination conquers all. I reached the Doctor's office 
practically all in, but after a short rest I felt better and 
stronger. 



32 THE GUIDING LIGHT 



CHAPTER III. 



The Naturepath's name is Doctor Edward L. Benson, 
and he resides at 346 North Main Street, Springfield, 
Mass. He is a rather tall man, stocky of build, brown 
eyes, dark hair, a finished athlete and has a wonderful 
personality. He is a man possessing superb intelligence 
and a man who has a personality strong enough to com- 
mand attention among men. He is a man whose person- 
ality is far above that of the average. Doctor Benson, 
to develop and make the most of the gift which Nature 
has given him (mediumship) undertook and carried 
through several courses in as many different, colleges, 
from each one of which he is a graduate. His medium- 
istic power, together with the theoretical and practical 
training he received at college, along his chosen line of 
work, has placed him in a position where he is a master 
of masters in his chosen profession. His skill at times 
's uncanny; which the writer knows from experience. 

After the short rest he came and said, "Well, Son, 
what's the trouble?" So I related all my experience up 
to and including the work of the Spirit Forces. He 
listened intently and every once in a while, would pull 
his face into a queer shape. This I found out later was 
his habit while partially under Spirit control. After I 
had finished my story, he instructed me to strip, which 
I did, then he seated me upon a high sort oi a table and 
started to feel the different bones, ligaments and muscles 
of my body. He was under control, but I was not con- 
scious of it. During the examination he did not have 



THD GUIDING WGHT 3^ 

a word to say, simply examined one bone and then an- 
other, and I will take the liberty here to say that he did 
not use a stethoscope or any other form of tools such 
as the Medical Doctors have to use. His tools were his 
bare hands, and the Great Gift (mediumship) which 
had been bestowed upon him. After he had thoroughly 
examined me all over, he informed me that my case was 
a very delicate case to handle; that I was anemic, having 
very little blood and that was not of the quality that 
it should be. The distortion of my chest caused by 
medicine and hard breathing had created spinal curva- 
ture of the worst kind. He informed me that my spine 
was almost a perfect letter "S." He also told me that 
in time, with perseverance and patience, that he could 
and would remove the spinal curvature, also reduce the 
barrel chest effect and straighten my bones in general. 
He also enlightened me to the fact that the congestion 
caused by the non-development of the bone structure 
m my youth, was the direct cause, coupled with the effect 
of narcotics, of the so-called disease asthma. 

He said while under (spirit control) that I did not 
have or never had the Asthma, so-called, but a general 
physical weakness. I will tell you, readers, that it was 
the greatest moment of my life to hear him say I did not 
have a disease, after having spent all these years in 
misery, being led blindly by the Medical Doctors, who 
had extracted every dollar that my parents could get 
together in an endeavor to bring to me relief. Doctor 
Benson informed me that he was going to use his own 
methods which are a combination of Chiropractic, Oste- 
opathy, Mechanotherapy and Massage in the use of 
which he is very skilful. He said that if he took my 



34 THE GUIDING I.IGHT 

case, he would go at me with the sole purpose of strength- 
ening this weakness which the Medical Doctors had 
called a disease. I was informed by him that it would 
take a long time to accomplish the desired effect, as I 
was such a physical wreck. After he was through diag- 
nosing, he said, "Well, Son, w^hat are you going to do, 
take the treatments or not?" And the very words I 
used in answer to him were these: "I want to get well." 
So that was the beginning of my first treatment and also 
placed me on the second leg of my journey to good 
health. The first treatment consisted of chasing what 
little blood I did have from one part of my body to 
another part, with the aid of a vibrator. This first treat- 
ment was only "baby play" in comparison to what I 
went through in later treatments. After Doc was 
through the first treatment I got up from the table 
affair and I was frightfully dizzy, caused by the stimula- 
tion and circulation of the blood, but after a while this 
effect passed off and after making arrangements for 
future treatments, of which there was to be three a week, 
I proceeded home where my anxious parents were wait- 
ing. I was so overjoyed that I could hardly conceive 
of what I had been told. When I reached home, I 
related in detail to my parents what had been told me. 
They did not say a great deal. I believe they were a 
bit skeptical as to how the new plan of treatments would 
work, but I had all the faith in the world in it. I re- 
turned for my next treatment on the day arranged, 
during which time I suffered until agony due to the 
tor's hands substituted. I did suffer a great deal of 
discomfort during the treatment and the next day, I 
was so lame and sore, I could hardly move. It seemed 



THD GUIDING LIGHT 35 

as if every bone in my body had been loosened, which, 
in a sense was actually the case. I continued the 
Naturepathic treatments for two months or more (the 
exact date I have forgotten), before I felt any better, 
during which time I suffered untold agony due to the 
N. D. loosening up the bone structure. There was not 
a great difference in the hard breathing. It did not 
seem to let up much, but I did not get discouraged as 
I had gained considerable strength and was able to walk 
more or less. This showed a slight improvement some- 
where. I still kept at the beet tonic which was having 
a tendency to make blood faster with the increased cir- 
culation; and so my condition continued for another 
month, with a gradual tendency toward improvement. 

By the first of August 1919, I had improved so much, 
with the aid of the Naturepathic treatments and the 
light exercise which included deep breathing, which I 
was instructed to perform by Doctor Benson, with the 
idea of expanding the chest and keeping the bone struct- 
ure limber in preparation for adjustments and to keep 
the blood circuit open. There instructions I followed 
diligently with never failing faith in the Greater Power. 
About the first of August, I was able to do a little spare 
work at my trade. 

I did not over-tax myself, for I did not want to slip 
back any. In this way the treatments were continued 
with a slow, but gradual improvement. Up to this 
time, my body had not reached the required condition 
where it would stand the Naturepathic adjustments. 
From the time I had placed myself under the care of 
Doctor Benson up to August 11, 1919, I gained eight 
pounds, just in that space of time. So you can imagine 



36 THE GUIDING WGHT 

how highly I was elated over the improvement shown. 
In eight month's time from the start of the Naturepathic 
treatments, the muscles and tissues had become sufficient- 
ly strong for me to stand the spinal adjustments, as 
worked in the methods of Doctor Benson while under 
influence. You can see what a slow and hard battle I 
had fought to reach this far in my fight for complete 
health. 

The Medical Doctor's medicine had worked such havoc 
with my stomach, that it had practically eaten away 
the internal lining of the stomach. This I was informed 
would re-establish itself again if given the proper care, 
and treatment, which was to give Nature a chance to do 
its work, and I did give Nature a chance to work. It 
was a slow and tedious job, but I feel more than amply 
repaid for the money, time and care, spent in creating 
a healthy normal stomach. Medicine had created the 
condition, but medicine did not have power enough in- 
vested in it to take away that stomach condition. It 
was Nature's work and Nature with the proper faith and 
Spiritual Guidance accomplished it. I will take the 
liberty to state here before going further, that the Spirit 
Forces working through and with Doctor Benson were 
marvelous. It did not seem as if any man living could 
be gifted, so as to perform the miracles which he per- 
formed on me. When he first started adjustment work 
on my back and chest, it was nothing short of torture, 
which I suffered. It was a different kind of suffering 
than that which I had been accustomed to. In describ- 
ing an adjustment treatment, I am obliged to illustrate 
one step by step: 

First, I had to strip to the waist, get upon the adjust- 



THE GUIDING UGHT 37 

ment table and sit in an upright position while Doctor 
Benson massaged the back of my neck from the shoul- 
ders up to the roots of the hair. This was to stimulate 
the circulation and partly take away the dizzy effect 
experienced later on during the treatment. I had to 
lay upon the table face downward. He then took several 
massage strokes with the aid of his hands, the whole 
length of the spine. This was to insure that the blood 
circuit was clear; then he started the shifting of the 
various vertabre one after another and sometimes several 
at once. The idea for doing this was to take the press- 
ure off the different nerve centers and also give the 
cartilages, which are small cushion-like substances placed 
between the vertabre, a chance to gather strength and 
become strong enough to keep the pressure off the nerve 
centers. The whole secret of these treatments are to 
open, strengthen and keep open the various nerve centers, 
and give Nature a chance to do its work. That is the 
keynote. After the spine has been thoroughly shaken 
up, I had to turn on to my back so he could work on 
my chest, stomach and throat. He would start massag- 
ing my stomach first with his hands using a circular 
motion. After several minutes of this he would leave 
the stomach and start to work on my chest, first massag- 
ing and then applying pressure, using the weight of his 
body as a leverage. The purpose of this was to broaden 
or flatten the chest, also create a larger lung cavity, 
which consequently gave a larger space internally for 
lung development. It also had a tendency to release 
the drawing effect upon my spinal column. While going 
through this, I could feel and hear the bones at the 
joints snap out of the sockets, and then back again, 



38 THE GUIDING LIGHT 

which was a painful sensation. You will, no doubt, 
realize what a delicate proposition it was. Then from 
my chest he would move his hands up to my neck and 
massage that thoroughly. Then he would take a small 
dry towel, fold it twice and lay it upon my chest. He 
would then take the palm of his hand and slap my chest 
with considerable force much in the same manner as 
you would slap a disobedient child, only considerably 
harder. This is called percussion work and its purpose 
'*s to strengthen internally as well as shake up the motor 
nerves of the system. When he first started this per- 
cussion work I could only stand a very light tapping with 
the hand, but it was gradually increased until I could 
stand practically the full force of his blows with the 
palm of his open hand. As I have said after he was 
through massaging my neck, he would step around the 
head of the table and with his two hands, would grasp 
my head and bend my body up much in the same man- 
ner as a wooden barrel hoop is bent. The purpose of 
this move was to stretch the spinal column which had 
been loosened during the course of the treatment, and 
this practically concluded the methods used in admin- 
istering a Naturepathic treatment. 

While performing the above operations. Doctor Ben- 
son is partially under Spirit control. I state this here 
to pomt out what the Spirit Forces, working through 
the various mediums have done for me. Thus, I kept 
up the treatments as described above with an occasional 
variation in certain methods. In addition to an in- 
creased amount of light exercise all through the winter 
of 1919 and 1920, and with the aid of a little spare 
work, which I was able to do, helped to defray my ex- 



THK GUIDING I^IGHT 5»> 

penses, besides I was now able to take a little joy out 
of life, something that I never had been able to do 
before. 

During the very early part of the winter of 1920, I 
felt so good that I began telling my friends that I thought 
that I would soon be able to take a permanent position. 
Some of them sort of laughed and said, "Oh! You can't 
hold a permanent position. You will be sick again in 
about a couple of weeks." These insults were rather 
hard to bear after having made such a fight for my 
health, with the aid of the Spirit Forces, working through 
the mediums, but I made up my mind that if an oppor- 
tunity presented itself, I would accept it and say nothing. 
Things ran along rather aimlessly for a few weeks and 
one day our telephone rang and mother answered it, and 
the call was for me. It was one of my brother co-workers 
and he informed me that there was a position open in 
my line of work, and that if I presented myself to the 
proper authorities, I, no doubt, could secure the position. 
I availed myself to this information and secured the 
position. I went to work the latter part of January 1920 
and was able to work every day from that time to the 
early part of June of the same year, at which time, due 
to the general financial condition of business, the con- 
cern I was working for closed out their business and this, 
of course, forced me out of work, but I did not stay 
idle long, as a number of my co-workers were taking 
vacations and consequently I filled their positions, while 
they were away, and together with other spare work, 
which I was able to pick up. I managed to earn and 
save a small sum of money, something I had never been 
able to do before and never expected to be able to do. 



40 th^ guiding light 

My friends often would say to me, "What are you 
taking, you are looking so good," and consequently an 
explanation had to forthcome. Along about the middle 
of the latter part of the summer, my father met one of 
the physicians who had formerly doctored me, and he 
wanted to know how I was getting along, and if I was 
any better than I was when he gave up my case as 
hopeless, and you can rest assured, the Medical Doctor 
received a very forceful explanation from my father. I 
personally have never met any of the Medical Doctors 
that doctored me so long. 

Coming back to the treatments, I continued the treat- 
ments for a trifle more than two years during which 
time, under the careful spiritual and professional guid- 
ance of Doctor Benson, my spine gradually lost its letter 
"S" shape and has assumed a position like that which a 
normal healthy spinal column occupies. That is 
straight! My chest has broadened and flattened out 
so that it has lost its former barrel shape to a large ex- 
tent. My bronchial tubes has been strengthened to such 
a degree that I am immune from the hard breathing 
which formally was so distressing. My body has de- 
veloped in proportion. I am now able to play the great 
National Game of Baseball, something that I have 
longed to do for years, but never had the strength or 
vitality to do it. My complexion has lost its pallidness; 
my eyes have lost the glassy stare caused by the exces- 
sive amount of medicine I had taken. I have today a 
healthier looking complexion; my body is healthy 
r.hroughout; my eyes has the lustre belonging only to a 
healthy person; I am today enjoying the health which 
many people who never have known, a day's sickness, 



THE GUIDING LIGHT 41 

abuses and sometimes throw away; and all this came 
about in the short space of two years. It is in my mind 
a case and a record to be favorably compared with any 
like case. 



42 THS GUIDING WGHT 



CHAPTER IV. 



Just previous to the time that I underwent my first 
treatment, I was weighed and tipped the scales at seventy- 
nine pounds and was five feet, four and one-half inches 
in height, and wore a size thirty-five suit of clothes and 
today I tip the scales at one hundred and two pounds. I 
have grown or been stretched out three-quarters of an 
inch, which makes me five feet, five and one-fourth inches 
tall and I have broadened out so that I have to wear a 
size thirty-six suit of clothes. Formerly I had to have 
a suit fitted to me, due to the rounded condition of my 
shoulders; but today, I can put on and wear a size 
thirty-six coat and wear it without any alterations what- 
soever. (I herewith quote a saying which I overheard 
regarding Doctor Benson and myself). One of my 
friends said to another, "That fellow," (referring to Dr. 
Benson) "certainly can make them over," (referring to 
the writer,) which is a fact. I will take the liberty here 
to state, that I can truthfully say that had not the 
Spirit Forces been appealed to and consulted and their 
prescriptions and directions carried out, I would not be 
on the earth plane today. We all have an awakening 
sometime in our life, sometimes it does not come until 
death, so-called, raps at our door; but in my case, the 
awakening came to our humble home while I was practic- 
ally upon my death-bed, and the call was heeded and 
the instructions followed as diligently as mortal man 
could do it. 

I will take the liberty to say that I have had a very 



THE GUIDING I,IGHT 43 

lemarkable career, one that no one should envy or one 
that any one would want to go through. There has been 
stumbling blocks galore, blocks in the rocky path of life. 
1 have always been more or less of a dependant. I 
never felt that I could go out into the world or life's 
pathways unaided, until lately. There were many times 
that my mortal life was despaired of, but for the help 
and guidance of the unseen and unheard forces, I would 
have gone across the border-line. But as it was, my 
time for the transplantation in the better, higher and 
more cheerful world had not arrived. At times, my 
suffering was greatly aggravated by pressure which was 
brought to bear on our family household, such as worry 
and anxiety. As I have said, I was a normal baby at 
the time of my birth, but the grip of circumstance changed 
it, i.e., it created a weakling so-called, as life went on 
from infancy into maturity. There is one thing that 
J am thankful for and that is the unimpared intellect 
which I possess. It is in a way, miraculous, how it 
escaped the ravages of medicine. Very few have escaped 
It, who have been forced to indulge in it as much as I 
was forced to. 

My early life was not all that it should have been, 
even from the moral standpoint. I was at times, very 
dejected, over my physical self, which is very bad, even 
for the healthiest of conditions, let along the condition 
which I was laboring under. I have often wondered 
that my brain did not snap under the abnormal strain, 
which was imposed upon it, but fortunately I was endow- 
ed with a remarkably and goodly amount of intellectual 
and brain vitality, which has kept me in good stead on 
more than one occasion. Very few men who have been 



44 THE GUIDING U(iHT 

through as much, physically, as I have, have ever re- 
cuperated their physical health. I can thank my stars 
that I was awakened to have faith in the Spirit Forces 
before it was too late. Now that the crisis of my life, 
as far as my physical health is concerned, is over, I 
can look out onto the world and smile; smile in a way 
that I never have been able to before. Now that I have 
passed from the uncertain strata into the certain and 
faithful strata, i.e., into a state where I am able to real- 
ize and appreciate the fullness and beautifulness of Life, 
which, before the awakening was but one long tragic, 
dramatic act, after another. I was, in a way, tied hand 
and foot with that so-called and much heralded supposed 
disease, Asthma. I felt at times that it was some curse 
of mankind that had been thrust upon me, but now, I 
can see that it wasn't. It was simply the sure and sane 
method which the great power used in awakening the 
good and the intelligence in me, and that which is in 
every man. Thus, the writer's case of the so-called dis- 
ease was held up for examplification by the Medical 
Physicians far and near; held up so as to expose how 
useless it was to even think of over-coming this so-called 
ailment. But it has been proven to them, as well as 
to you, that such was not the case. Nature created all 
ailments for the purpose, and she also created an absolute 
cure for those same ailments. I am not only thankful 
for what the Spirit Forces have done for me, but I am 
also thankful for the opportunity to give this great and 
noble act of thoughtfulness out onto the world so that 
they who will may also be benefited by their (the unseen 
forces) spiritual help and doctrines. 
When I began to feel relieved from that terribly hard 



the; guiding ught 45 

breathing, I could have sung out with joy; a joy that 
would be boundless; a joy that words cannot even in 
their most eloquent manner, express. There were times, 
when the skeptics around me were rather doubtful as 
to my complete recovery, but I had tasted the seed of 
relief and would not let go. I was so enthused over and 
with my condition that shortly after the Spirit Forces 
took my case, I went out and over-taxed my strength 
so, that I was brought back a little by a slight reminder 
which was in the form of a cold. But this condition 
was only a temporary check in my progress, for the com- 
plete recuperation of my health. When I started on the 
road to recovery, I was so enthused, that I told every 
one I knew and some of them scoffed at the idea, saying 
when I had turned my back, that it was simply another 
one of those ten minute cures; but in this statement, 
they were far from being right. They see and know 
it now, but they won't acknowledge it. Permit me the 
liberty of making the following statements: Words, 
deeds, nor money can never repay those two mediums, 
Mrs. A. Houghton and Doctor Edward L. Benson, for 
their wonderful devotion and skilful work on and for 
me. The only thing that I can do in the way of com- 
pensation is to show them every appreciation that I 
can regardless of whether they accept it or not. They 
are, to my mind, characters above reproach. The work 
that has been performed through their instrumentality 
is so far above that of the average, that it should not 
be mentioned except in the most select places. Their 
instrumental facilities are so far in advance of the 
majority of mediums, that they should be called super- 
mediums. The influence that they attract is of the 



46 THD GUIDING I,IGHT 

highest intelligence, and if they were not endowed with 
the higher principles, they would not attract the atten- 
tion of the higher intelligence. I will herewith quote 
an old quotation, "Like attracts like." 

I will say to all you who have been deceived and mis- 
lead, although, it was for a purpose, by the members 
of the Medical profession, to open your eyes and place 
faith in the Spirit Forces; they who are close to you, 
waiting with out-stretched arms to help and guide you, 
if you will only give them a chance to help you out of 
your difficulties. Don't think that when the world and 
everything is the darkest that you are alone for you are 
not. Turn your thoughts to and on a higher plane and 
give the loved ones on the other side who are only 
waiting for the opportunity a chance to lead you out 
of the darkness into the sunshine. As you know, the 
Spirit Forces do not advertise. The only way they care 
to be known is by the work they are able to do among 
us mortals. When they took me, so as to speak, I was 
nothing more than a mortal wreck; a wreck caused by 
my near-sightedness and lack of understanding. They 
(the Forces) took me and brought me up out of the 
depts of the physical mire and brought me up out into the 
pink of condition. When I was down so low in the 
physical mire, I knew that I would have to have help 
from another quarter, other than that of the physicians, 
before I would ever get any relief, and that help was a 
whole lot nearer to me than I ever thought it was. 

So, friend readers, you can see what a wonderful 
transformation I have under-gone in the short space of 
two years. Perhaps some of you will say that as long 
as I keep up taking the treatments, I will feel good, 



TH^ GUIDING LIGHT 47 

but when I stop, the old affliction will return, (you know 
some people have some very pin-head ideas), but such 
is not the case. After taking the treatments for the 
two years, I felt so good that I thought I would gradually 
cease the treatment. This I have done, first by skipping 
a treatment now and then, only taking one once a week 
or so, and finally I stopped altogether. 

It is now about two months since I under-went a 
treatment and there are no signs of the old affliction 
returning. In fact, I am putting on flesh and growing 
stronger every day. I keep up constantly the light exer- 
cises which includes deep breathing, walking several 
miles a day in addition to some bicycle riding which I 
am able to do. I will take the liberty here to state that 
words cannot express my appreciation for the remark- 
able health which I am enjoying, all of which has been 
brought about by my awakening to the fact of the 
Great ministering power which God has invested the 
Spirit Forces with, and they, in turn, working through 
the mediumship of mortals to help and uplift those who 
place unfaltering faith in their doctrines. It has been 
proven to you in this book that if I hadn't received the 
help that I did from the Spirit Forces, I would not be 
on this side of the border today. 

Nature is the greatest physician. All we can do or 
have to do is to give her an opportunity to perform her 
work. Having been denied the boyhood joys, the games 
that are enjoyed by all healthy youngsters, being forced 
Into the companionship with grown-ups, I naturally be- 
came old-fashioned in my ways, but not in ideas. Later 
on, I became what is known and often characterized as 
a "Lone-bird." In my youth, I was shunned by the 



48 THB GUIDING I.IGHT 

healthy ones because of my physical disabilities. Being 
alone gradually grew on me, for now I make no pals or 
chums except my dear mother. I have been through so 
much and been spoken to falsely so often that it is hard 
for me to place faith in any mortal person. I spend 
most of my time alone, which, consequently places many 
peculiar thoughts before me, both of the past and what 
the future holds in store, during my lonely hours. Late- 
ly, I have learned to place great faith in the Great Power, 
the unseen forces. I have been prompted to write this 
book through inspiration, which has come to and been 
given to me, in these hours that I spend alone. The 
purpose of writing this book is to bring out facts and 
not fancies which I have actually experienced during 
my short eventful life. It ought to be a lesson to some 
of you who are inclined to be bigoted and self -centered. 
It brings ouf to you the meaning of the wonderful word 
FAITH. Faith, not only in what mortal man can do, 
but in the Great Power and the unseen forces. Faith 
in the higher power has and will henceforth accomplish 
every duty assigned it. As we are told, we must walk 
by faith, and not by sight. We need not be concerned, 
but that there will always be room for the presence and 
exercise of faith in the struggle and trials of life, in the 
spiritual possibilities of life, and the final victory of good 
over evil. 

I do not wish to be misunderstood on some of my 
statements regarding the Medical Doctors, they are 
simply playing their part in life's great drama. All that 
I have written is bona fide facts and experiences. 

This simple faith of mine in communion with the 
Spirit Forces must not be confounded with any mere 



the: guiding ught 49 

modern delusion. I have inherited this belief from my 
darling mother, but in my youth, I could not conceive 
or appreciate the phenomena. There has been no mo- 
ment in my conscious existence when I did not believe 
in the New Testament Faith; that the dead (so-called) 
are ministering spirits sent forth of God to the heirs of 
salvation. In my youth, I could never understand how 
the ministering forces could minister and I could not 
conceive of it; but it has all been unfolded to me now. 
This lack of understanding caused me at times to scoff 
at mediums and the work of the ministering spirits. In 
quoting the term spiritualist I will say "now," that I 
cannot see how anyone who believes in the New Testa- 
ment and in God the Great Power, can be other than a 
Spiritualist. One cannot have faith in another and 
better world and not feel often that its border lies very 
near to this earth plane. So near, in fact, that our 
loved ones who have gone thither may come back to us 
unseen, unheard, to walk as ministering angels by our 
sides. 

Spiritualism is, in a sense, an illumination, leading to 
clearer appreciation of the spiritual and philosophical 
value of life. 

In some of the above paragraphs, the writer has used 
the term, "The Great Power." The writer does not wish 
to be misunderstood in regard to the above term. The 
Great Power, as common sense will tell you, is Christ. 
The writer does not conceive Christ as a man immortal, 
but a pow^er, a Great Supreme Power, one so great that 
it is infinite and of which every being both mortal and 
immortal is a unit or part. 

For an analysis of the above, we will take the electric 



so TH^ GUIDING WGHT 

dynamo, the wire, and the incandescent lamps. The 
dynamo is the power; the wires, the transmission medium; 
and the incandescent lamps are the units. As one light 
is burnt out, another takes its place. In other words, 
the light which is burnt out has done its work, while the 
new one that replaces it has its work to do, but the 
dynamo or power keeps on running regardless of these 
changes. So it is with the human and celestial life. 
Christ is the Power; we mortals are the lamps, born into 
this world. We do our work here and then pass on, 
and as we pass on, a new born life here takes the place, 
which we as mortals, have vacated. It is rather a crude 
analogy, but it examplifies the principle. 

Spiritualism is, in a sense, a great light which to all 
intent, has the purpose of being a beacon for the blind 
multitude, who are constantly trying to forge ahead, 
but who are on the wrong path. They have the great 
and unfortunate tendency of depending upon the earthly 
power, which, in other words, means, upon men who have 
in their power, influence and money. This, of course, 
is not the right way. They are depending upon those 
who care naught about them. People should learn to 
look up to and abide by the guidance of the Great 
Power. But, the mortals of today are traveling so fast 
that they do not, nor will not, take the time to listen 
to the teachings that they should. They are obsessed 
with the idea that they can accomplish everything by 
their own initiative and intellect. Their personal idea 
of their power is so great that they defy Christ and his 
powerful principles, but some mortals think that they 
actually accomplish the above without the aid of the 
unseen and unheard guiding hand, but, my! how short- 



THIS GUIDING WGHT 51 

sighted and narrow-minded they are. It is the writer's 
opinion that if more people would believe in the great 
and unseen spirit forces, that their would be less discon- 
tentment in the world today, as it would give people a 
broader view of Life and it would place them on a plane 
where they would be able to conceive and appreciate 
things and ideas, and principles more readily. It would 
broaden their minds so that they would be able to take 
in a greater scope of knowledge, of the actual affairs. 
It would give them an understanding, which they have 
heretofore been unable to grasp and appreciate. It would 
make life more like a happy dream, in place of the 
sordid dramatic scene which we experience every day of 
our earthly existance. It would create a more harmoni- 
ous surrounding, than we have or enjoy today. 

Faith in the Great Power and Spirit Forces is the key- 
note of success, no matter in what line of work or pro- 
fession. Without it you can get no where. Some of 
us actually have this faith, but are not conscious of it; 
others want to have it, but they go and travel in the 
wrong direction from that which faith travels. By this 
I mean, that they who travel in the wrong direction, are 
those who single out an idol and worship it instead of 
placing faith in and worshiping the Great Power, 
CHRIST, immortal himself. Some people believe that 
to respect Christ, they must go to Church. This, in my 
opinion is all right; but they do not seem to realize that 
they can respect Him in their own home by simply enter- 
ing silence for a short period of time each day. They 
do not seem to be able to conceive this. They do not 
seem to realize that it is their own selves, who have the 
respect, and not the influence which the Church brings 



52 THE GUIDING WGHT 

out. The Church is but a congregating point for mortals, 
and the unseen forces, but the amount of help you re- 
ceive and the faith you put in the unseen power depends 
solely upon your own personal individual self. 

To take life as the Great Power (Christ) gives it, not 
as we want it and then make the best of it, is the hard 
lesson that life puts before the human soul to learn. 
One's environment may be very disagreeable, but there 
is a reason for that environment. To become strong, 
the soul must need to fight something, or over-come some- 
thing. A great part of the strength of life consists, in 
the degree which we get into harmony with our appoint- 
ed environment. I have often said, that the Great 
Power put me among these scenes, these opportunities, 
these duties for a purpose. 

Christ is neither absent-minded or incompetent. This 
is the place the Great Power means me to be in; there 
is no mistake. But there are things in the circumstances 
of our lives that we can change. There are opportunities 
that our own efforts may enlarge. We can conquer many 
of the difficulties that beset our career, and in so con- 
quering, be strong. I believe more and more that there 
is no impediment that cannot be overcome, no hinderance 
to usefulness that cannot be removed, if we but put faith 
in the Power of Christ. If we go through life timidly 
and ineffectively, the fault is neither with our endow- 
ment nor our environment, it is with ourselves. As our 
own view of life is of necessity; partial, I do not find 
that we can do better than to put them absolutely in the 
Great Power's Hands, and look to him for the direction 
of our life-energy. The Great Power can do great things 
with our lives if we but give them to him in sincerity. 



the; guiding light S3 

He can make them useful. The Great Power never 
wastes anything, never forgets anything, or never loses 
anything. Though he holds the destinies of the World 
in the hollow of his hand, he will remember us and the 
part we are fitted to play in the eternal drama. Let us 
lay hold of faith; of what profit it is to use, to gain a 
firm hold on life, if we hold it, but blindly, without any 
light on the meaning of our present conditions, or the 
character of our future destiny. Faith holds the key 
to the blessedness of the eternal life. Faith opens the 
gates of happiness and success. Without faith, the gates 
remain closed. Strong, serene faith in the loving kind- 
ness of the Great Power, the guidance of the Great 
Spirit will enable us to look fearlessly toward the end 
of the temporal existence and the beginning of the eternal, 
and will make it possible for us to live our lives effectively. 

Friend readers, did this fact ever cross your mind 
as it has mine; many a time, that thousands of our fel- 
low-men and women are cursed in their very birth, born 
into this world with the physical and spiritual taint of 
depraved generations, entailed upon them with neither 
the power, the intellect or opportunity from the cradle 
to the border-line (grave) to break the chains of poverty 
and vice and rise to purity? I believe that the oppor- 
tunity will come to every being that everyone has a 
chance, if not in this existence, then in another higher 
plane. 

The key of health is always within our reach, if not 
always in our complete possession. Some of you are 
groping blindly for it in the dark, as the writer did for 
so many years. Some of you are too confidently seek- 
ing it by repeating the magical formulas of some cult 



54 THE GUIDING LIGHT 

of health seekers. Many of you in the bondage of ab- 
normal conditions, both physical and mental, are per- 
haps in despair of finding health anywhere; but if you 
could only realize how close this help was at handl 
Broaden your minds, health-seekers! Place unfaltering 
faith in the great and unseen power, and be directed 
and guided by the Spirit Forces, as I have been. A 
little advice to those who are in anguish and in despair. 
The following is a simple way in which to show your 
faith, and be guided by the unseen forces: — 

Go into a room all alone; rest your mind and relax; 
then ask the great unseen power to lead you out of the 
darkness, out of the difficulties into the sunshine, and 
be sure to keep that little word "Faith" ever before you. 

To all, it is hoped that this little book may bring a 
ray of hope and encouragement to those who pursue the 
quest of health, and a long life, sanely and wisely, along 
the line which Nature has laid down for our guidance. 

Let it be clearly understood that I make no claim to 
infallibility on matters spiritual. I merely speak of 
things as I have found them. I am convinced that 
before each of us there lies a path of eternal progress, 
and all who will, may tread therein. I am convinced 
that for all who sin, there is a punishment of a retributive 
nature, and for all righteousness a sure and fitting re- 
ward. And remember, above all things, that I believe 
these, not because I have been taught to believe as arti- 
cles of faith, but because I consider I have received 
and experienced evidence, which compels me to accept 
them as a matter of fact. 

Christ, the Great Power gives us always strength 
enough and sense enough for everything he wants us to 
do. 



THi; GUIDING LIGHT 33 

I wish to take the liberty here to apologize for the 
humble way I have endeavored to put this book together, 
being deprived of a full grammar school education, 
which would have enabled me to write and pronounce 
the large significant words. I have endeavored to write, 
in a plain matter of fact way; a way that will be under- 
stood by any living person of this Universe. 

Let the Great Power (Christ) be your Guiding Light. 

THE END. 



56 THE GUIDING LIGHT 

The following is a Poem which was transmitted through 
the instrumentality of Mrs. Anna Houghton, by a Spirit 
who's Father, was blind and deaf for years before he 
passed on to the higher life. 

One by one they're gently dropping. 

Like the roses in the Autumn with their golden strodes 

Out of this life to the life immortal, 
Just as the forests begin to fade; 

But, they are not fading, just gradually blooming, 
Into the life that is only beyond, 

T'is only progression that death has created, 
And he enters Heaven with grand resound. 

His vision no longer, is dimmed in darkness, 
No longer the dread or fear is near. 

His soul new pinioned has soared beyond it, 
His vision and hearing is now made clear. 

And methinks I can hear him saying, 
As the new life gradually comes in. 

It is sweeter this life hereafter, 
Where nothing the sight can dim. 

The winter I dreaded has vanished, 
Bright summer land now is for me, 

I can see, I can hear, I am happy. 
Rejoice and be glad that I'm free. 

Alice:. 



THB GUIDING IJGHT 57 



THE APPENDIX. 

I oftimes think that it seems curious, then it seems 
strange to me, that just because a human being's ideas 
about death (so-called) are unique and decided. That 
individual should seem to be so completely different from 
his fellows. Some people have an idea that if there 
is another world, it is radically different than the mortal 
world. Personally, I don't think of life, that simply 
goes on, as being so different from the life we are now 
living, or of the place it goes on in, as being so far 
away. The eyes of the Spirit may see it, as being more 
beautiful than it is to us mortals, but I always feel 
somehow, as if it were likely to be right here. 

The really curious aspect of the situation lies in the 
fact that it is not along in times of illness and suffering 
and those great cirisis, where the heart almost stops 
beating and the whole world is suddenly changed by 
one's being brought face to face with the fundamental 
problems of existence that sometimes we should never 
believe possible, if we had not seen repeated proof of it 
in our lives. 

No man can live without faith, because his relationship 
with the future is an affair not alone of thought, but also 
of action. Faith is the first word necessary in every 
life, if they are to succeed on this mortal sphere. No 
one can live without faith because the prime requisi- 
tion in life's worn path is courage and the sustenance 
of courage, is Faith. 

Christ, the Great Power, or what ever you may call 



58 TH^ GUIDING LIGHT 

that splendid intelligence, that devised all things, that 
intelligence has proven to be a marvelous originator 
and inventor and planner for all possibilities of Nature. 
I don't see how any one can, in reason, distrust his ability 
to keep on. I, for my part, am willing to risk it and 
just expect fine and splendid surprises in the future. 



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